


Nameless

by Wisteriona



Series: The Nameless Shinigami [1]
Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adoption, Death Note (Anime/Manga), F/M, Fluff, L Adopts The Boys, L lives, Life Note, Resurrection, Romance, SPK, Shinigami, Shinigami Eyes, Shinigami Realm, Wammy Boys, kira task force - Freeform, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-02-24 22:49:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22265737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wisteriona/pseuds/Wisteriona
Summary: L was a liar. He lied when he said that Light’s possibility of being Kira was below seven percent. He lied when he said that he was unclear if Light was the real Kira. He lied when he said that Light was his first friend. He lied when he said that he thought Shinigamis weren’t real. Then what exactly did he say was true, especially now that he’s dead? Unless, that too was a lie.
Relationships: A & Beyond Birthday & L, Beyond Birthday & OC, L (Death Note) & Matt, L (Death Note) & Mello, L (Death Note) & Near, L (Death Note)/Original Female Character(s), Matt & OC, Matt | Mail Jeevas & Mello | Mihael Keehl & Near | Nate River, Mello & OC, Near & OC, Yagami Light/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Nameless Shinigami [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602772
Kudos: 22





	1. Name

L wandered the halls of the large manor, going from one end to the other. He doesn’t know why he was there in the first place, nor did it truly mattered to him, as long as he did not have to interact with anyone in the house. Wammy-san had brought him here, mentioning that he wanted to show L something, something that he may be interested in. So far the boy had found no such thing.

The mansion they were visiting belongs to a rich couple in Winchester, England. It was rather close to Wammy’s House, only a twenty minute drive away. Turns out the father of the owner’s wife was good friends with Wammy-san. The two had been chatting almost nonstop since they arrived. L wasn’t that bothered with sitting there and hearing them talk, but when the conversation shifted to him, he didn’t like how the lady was squealing over him and trying to pinch his cheeks, so he slipped out when they were distracted. If There was something worth seeing here, he may as well go look for it himself. 

He had ran into a couple of people, mostly maids, but none were out of the ordinary. They all seemed pretty normal, not enough to ever peak his interest. To L, these kind of people are just another face in the crowd, not really worth looking into. After heading up to the third floor of the building, the boy came across a door that was left ajar at the end of a long, well-lit corridor. It was rather large, so it must lead to something important. 

The 10 year old boy decided he would take a peek inside, if the door was left unlocked then it would mean that it wasn’t forbidden for people to enter. L may be odd in many people’s eyes, but he wasn’t the type to just walk around another person’s home like he owns the place, that was just plain rude. L pushed the door opened lightly. It led him into a large room, the first thing visible when he entered was a wooden desk, the type one would find in an executive office. There was a glass door behind the desk which led to a balcony overlooking the manor’s garden. In the middle of the room was a coffee table with two couches on either sides. The room was rather dim, despite the light shining through the large windows. No lights were on, but L could see the large shelves of books lining one side of the room. On the other end of the room was a queen-sized canopy bed with matching crimson duvet and drapes. L couldn’t see much of the bed because of the drapes, but there was definitely something on it, it was small, probably half his own size.

”Who are you?”

L was a little startled at the soft voice. It didn’t occur to him that what he saw was a person, a little girl in fact. She pulled the drapes away, deep, hollow grey eyes looking directly at the boy that intruded her room. Before she spoke up, L had detected no movement, like she was a statue, he heard no sounds of breathing, he had assumed he was alone in the room. L was still having doubts that the kid glaring at him was actually alive. Her eyes were lifeless, but it was the fact that she had not move was what intrigued him, she showed no signs of breathing. Any other person would have overlooked this detail, but not L, he could see the girl’s chest was still, she wasn’t inhaling or exhaling at all.

”Are you mute? Who Are you?”

L glared right back at her. For a couple kids, the tension between them was enough for a grown man to be wary. L wasn’t sure he wanted to tell this girl who he was. His intuition was telling him that she was dangerous, he was 100% sure she wasn’t breathing, 87% chance she wasn’t even human. 

“My name is Tom.” It was the first thing that came to his mind. 

“Tch.” L raised an eyebrow at the girl. She looks dissatisfied with his answer. “So you’re a liar.” She mumbled to herself, but the room was quiet enough for him to hear. 

‘How did she know I was lying?’ He look her up and down, taking in every little detail. ‘Still not breathing? 90%. There’s no way anyone could hold their breathe for that long. Also, she looks nothing like Mr and Mrs Bell. But she wouldn’t have such a large room if she wasn’t their child. Adoption?’ The girl moved off the bed, her long black hair flowing behind her as she made her way towards L. 

“Nice to meet you, L Lawliet. Now, what are you doing in my room?” She held out her hand towards him, but he was stunned. ‘She knows my name? How?... There’s no doubt about it, she can’t be normal. Unless someone told her beforehand, but I never use my real name in front of anyone other than Wammy-san.’ 

The little girl took the hint, he obviously didn’t wanted to shake hands so she pulled back. “Tell me, how did you know I was lying?” Grey eyes stared up at him, but not his face, more like above his head. ‘What’s she staring at?’ L was tempted to look above his head, but instead studied her.

The girl's eyes moved down to L’s, there was a hint of a smirk on her lips, but it quickly vanished. “I just do.” 

“Right.” L moved a little closer to her, leaving little space between them. She was short, head barely reaching his shoulders. “I’m L. I’m here with Quillsh Wammy.”

Her eyes softened by the name, acknowledging the man as a guest and the boy was likely his company. “I see. Guess you’re not an intruder. Sorry for assuming.” 

L nodded. “You’re the Bells’ kid. What’s your na-“

”Not important. Nor do you need to know.” She said quickly. The girl turned away from him and went to one of the couches, making herself comfortable. “Just leave. You clearly have no reason to be here.”

’Hiding something, are we? She must be what Wammy-san was talking about. She is definitely odd.’ L followed her to the couch and sat opposite of her. He sat with his feet pulled up in a crouching position, this didn’t seem to phase the girl in the slightest nor did she questioned his odd habit. “You say that, but I was promised something interesting here.” She crosses her arms and gave him an annoyed look. “And I’m 100% convinced that it is you.”

”I have nothing to offer that could be of interest to anyone. I’m just a five year old, innocent, little girl.” The boy did not believe a single adjective she used was true. Little girls don’t normally speak in that kind of vocabulary. She doesn’t look like a she, more like an unblinking corpse. “Just leave. I don’t like to socialize.”

”Me neither.” L smiled. They found common ground. He could use this as a way to start up conversation, but what he wanted now was a name. “You knew my name without me having to tell you.” The boy rubbed his feet together, dull black eyes wandered to a chess set on the table between them. “At the very least... I deserve to know yours.”

”Doesn’t exist.” She mumbled, at this point would do anything for the boy to leave her to her thoughts. 

“What?” L watched as her features morphed into one of great irritation. 

“L-san, I can’t tell you something that doesn’t exist.” She tightened the grip on her arms. “I don’t have a name.”

”...What?” L was confused. ‘That never happened before. She is definitely something.’

”I don’t have a name.” The girl sighed in exasperation. “Unlike you, I wasn’t given a name at birth. Not even Mr and Mrs Bell have a name for me. They just call me daughter and other people just go with miss or something along that line.”

”So you are adopted. I figured as much, you don’t look anything like them. But why can’t you just take up a name and use that?”

”Without my father’s permission, it wouldn’t mean anything.” 

‘Father? She can’t possibly mean Mr Bell, earlier she called them by name, so it has to be someone else.’ L eyed the chess board for a moment before staring back at the girl, whose eyes were trained solely on him. “What can I call you then? How do you wish to be address?”

”Don’t bother. I have no intentions of interacting with you ever again after this.” She brushed a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. “I’m surprised you bothered to stick around when you said you hated socializing. You can leave right now if you wish.” She gestured towards the door.

L grew amused at her attempts to make him leave. He wanted answers, apparently a soft approach was only going to prolong things. He needed to be a bit more direct with her, the girl was clearly different from the norm he expects from the common folks. 

“Ms Bell? I have a question for you?” She looked away from him, seemingly lost interest in his pointless questioning. L couldn’t help but smil at her, she may be harder to crack, but L wasn’t one to give up easily. He hated losing. A victory here was to get her to falter from this one question. “By any chance... Are you human?”

She stiffened. Turning to face the tired-looking boy, the girl’s eyes were wide and an expression of shock was written on her face. They both held each other’s stares for a while, a pregnant silence invaded the room. That was until she smiled, a seemingly calm and friendly smile. But L could clearly see the malice and agression behind it. This was his victory. “What makes you say that, L-san?”

The boy smirked. “From the moment I saw you, you haven’t breathe once. No human can ever go that long without breathing. It’s been four minutes and seventeen seconds since you showed yourself to me. I noticed that the entire time your chest was still. That’s my first reason.” The girl’s smile grew, almost maniacal. “You knew I was lying about my name. Not to mention you knew what it really was. And when I asked you how you knew, your eyes wandered to the space above my head. Care to explain what was so interesting up there?”

”Heh.” She covered her mouth, but L could see the smile behind it. “Aren’t you clever? Quite the detective we have here.” L’s felt his pulse quickens, his skin prickled. The atmosphere in the room grew oddly cold. “Listen, Mr Lawliet. This little girl doesn’t enjoy being questioned like a criminal. So can we just forget this all happened?” L strongly gripped onto his seat, nails digging into the fabric of his seat. Still, he didn’t want to back out without answers, even if he was starting to feel threatened. 

“What would you do if I refuse?” The girl glared at him, a flame of annoyance growing in those grey pupils, but then it died down. She gave him a tired look, like she was giving up. Her posture relaxed and the air around them eased up.

”Nothing. I’d just be really upset.” L felt his heartbeat calmed down, but now he was even more confused. She could probably shut him up forever, something in his mind was telling him she was a very dangerous individual. Yet she just surrendered. “Obviously I can’t scare you away like I did to everyone else. You’re too...what’s the word?...Stubborn. You’re too stubborn.” 

“You can’t hurt me? Why?” 

“Heh. It’s against the rules.” L raised a brow at her. “You didn’t run a while ago when I gave you the chance. I can respect that. Were you scared though?” She asked with honest curiosity.

He swallowed as he remembered the feeling of horror he endured mere moments ago. Should he lie? “...Yeah. I was scared.”

”Thanks. At the very least I haven’t lost my touch.” She began playing with a strand of hair. The black thread wrapped loosely around her small fingers. “As for your earlier question. I suppose I can reward you with an answer for not running away... I’m not human.”

”So...” L started becoming more relax, the malice having faded from the girl. “What are you?” He doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but he was willing to give it some thought. There was no other way to describe the girl’s lack of breathing. 

”I’m not obliged to answer. Besides, how long do you plan to stay?” She didn’t like how comfortable the boy was getting around her. She could see him relax, he was aware she couldn’t harm him. Normally intimidation was enough for people to back off, adult or child, man or woman, it didn’t make a difference. On the off chance they were brave enough to try and start conversation she used their name before they tell her to scare them. This was the first time she had to go so far, yet he still stuck by. Giving him anymore answers would lessen any chance of him ever leaving. Telling him she wasn’t human, she had hoped it would make him realize how unsafe it was to be near her, but he saw through it. He discovered that she couldn’t do anything against him without directly causing him harm. “I’d appreciate it if you leave me.” She didn’t want to beg, but that was what it sounded like. She just wanted to be left alone, it was what she was used to. L didn’t seem to care what she wants though. His eyes were sort of shining at the moment. She could tell he was interested in her, and begging had only showed her desperation to him. ‘For a ten year old, he sure is perceptive. Never seen a human this determined before. What a pain.’

”Want to play a game?” The little girl blankly stared at him, but fatigued was evident in her eyes. She had not had to try so hard to get rid of someone before, so she had no clue how to deal with L. “I assume you know chess.”

”Why?” ‘Why can’t you just give it up already? L Lawliet, you’re so annoyingly stubborn.’

”I want to make a deal with you.” L grabbed the chess board and moved it in front of both of them. “If you win, I’ll leave you alone.” He arranged the pieces to their respective places. “If I win, you’ll do me one favor.”

”Which is?”

”You’ll see at the end of the game.” He smiled confidently, mocking her. 

“L-san, you haven’t thought of anything to ask for yet, have you?” His smile grew. He was impressed by her quick deductive skills. 

“No I haven’t.” She sighed. Her lifeless grey eyes glared at the chess board and then she smiled. 

“Fine. One game. Do you want any refreshments as we play? I can already tell this will take a while. I can ask the maids to bring something up.”

L perked up at her suggestion. “Cake, please! And some tea.”

”Alright then.” The girl moved off the couch and walked out the door. “Give me a moment.”

L watched as her tiny form disappeared behind the wooden frame. He looked back down at the completed chess set. ‘This won’t be an easy win. My instincts are warning me. I want to run, but I can’t. I hate to lose.’

🍎—————🍰

”This turned out to be a lot harder than I expected.” L felt his head ached as he contemplated what to do with his remaining piece.

“Agreed. You’re rather talented, L-san. I’m impressed.” The girl moved her king a space to the right. “This is ridiculous.”

On the board remained only two pieces, the white king and the black king. All other pieces had been taken off to the side. L took a bite of his strawberry cake, the third one he had actually. The two had been playing for thirty minutes already, neither of them budging in the slightest. Mr. Wammy and the Bells had came in earlier to pick up L, but he refused to leave the game undetermined. The adults were chased out, the Bells were a little surprised as they were leaving. It was the first time their little girl made an interaction with someone for more than three minutes. 

“This is obviously a draw.” The girl said. “Neither of us will win unless the other forfeits.” L was annoyed by this. He didn’t want to forfeit, he hated losing. But if she forfeited, then it would be a hollow victory, neither options appealed to him. “I give up.”

” What? Why?”

”L-san, even if I win, there’s no reward for me either way. You’re going to leave after the game ends whether I win or lose. You don’t plan on forfeiting either, so it’ll be more like a loss for me if the game continues any longer.” She held up her hands in surrender. “So like I said. I give up. You win. Tell me what you want then go home.”

”You really are desperate to get rid of me.” ‘But what do I want from her? Does this win even count? Her reasoning makes sense though. Still...’ L picked up his tea and took a drink of it. “You know. I’m getting tired of calling you you or miss all the time. How about you let me name you? What do you say?”

”...................................huh?” She had expected him to ask for a lot of things. If 80% chance it’d be what she was, 20% chance he would ask for something else, but to name her was not one of them. The idea made her feel like some sort of pet to the boy. ‘I should’ve never gave him the win. But a deal’s a deal, as annoying as it may be.’ “I advise you not to treat me like some pet, L-san. So don’t step out of line with the name.”

”I’ll take that as a yes. Now let’s see... Name, name, name...” L looked around the room, trying to draw up some inspiration. He stopped and stared at his reflection in his teacup. “Tea, te-ah... How about Tia, Tia Bell? I like how it sounds.”

”Hmm. Alright, fine. Tia it is then. But this won’t be an official name. Just as an alias or nickname, okay?” L nodded. “Good. Guess you can leave now.” 

“Did you enjoyed my company?” L asked, he wasn’t sure why, only that he wanted to know her honest opinion about him.

”I...” She avoided eye contact. Did she enjoyed his company was a tricky question. She was irritated that he refused to leave her be, but was also interested in his abnormal nature. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit interested in the boy by now. “You were bearable. You definitely caught my eye in certain ways. So I guess to an extent, it was nice to have you around. Though I wouldn’t say I want to do this again any time soon.” L smirked. He got the answer he wanted. And he was definitely going to ask Wammy-san to bring him over again sooner or later. There were still things left unanswered, but not for long. L already had set a plan in motion.

”Well it’s been fun. I’d never imagine there would be someone who could match me in a battle of wits, especially someone so “young”. I hope to see you again soon, Tia-chan.” With that L left the room, though he did so after stuffing the remainder of his cake into his mouth.

The girl, Tia, stared curiously at his retreating figure till he was out of sight. She grabbed her cup of tea and swiveled the grey liquid around. Tia, she seriously thought it was ironic he chose that of all things. Perhaps it had been inspired by a simple beverage, but the name had its own origins. Tia was a Greek name, it means godly or goddess. “I wonder, did he know?” She took a sip. “No, that’s impossible. He’s just a human, even if he was a gifted one.” Tia got up and walked to her bed. The girl reached over to beneath the duvet and pulled out the item she had been busying herself with before L had decided to waltz into her room uninvited. It was a book with black covers, the front having white letters spelling the words “DEATH NOTE”. “Still, for a human he was rather confident in openly analyzing me. His deduction were flawless and he noticed things others have overlooked time and time again. Should I take care of him?” Small hands traced the letters of the front cover, contemplating her options, Tia fell back onto the bed. She was tired, that one chess match gave her a headache, not many could ever get so much out of her, especially within such a short span of time. L was definitely one interesting individual all right, not the kind you’d see everyday. She kept debating her options, but for some reason, writing the boy’s name down wasn’t one of them. For some reason she didn’t want to. “I’ll let him live...for now.”

🍎—————🍰

L unconsciously clutched his shirt tightly in his fist, just right above where his heart should be. ‘Odd. Felt like I was going to die for a moment.’ He calmed down and stared out the window of Wammy’s car. The manor was slowly disappearing from view. He looked to the balcony that he knew was connected to Tia’s room. He wondered if she had already forgotten him, that was why he wanted to leave something behind to let her know they’ll meet again, and he will be coming back for answers. A name will do just that. Because whenever someone addresses her, it’ll be a reminder of him. He wouldn’t be the only one tired of calling her you, she and miss all the time, it was rather troublesome to say the least.

”It seems you’ve made a friend, L.”

The boy faces his guardian with bored eyes. A friend, that wasn’t the word he would use to describe their relationship. If the fact that she wasn’t human was true, then this was nothing more than curiosity attraction. 

“When can we come back, Wammy-san?”

”I’ll talk to George, would you like if I ask Mr. Bell to arrange a play date for the two of you?” L began to imagine Tia’s face when he will see her next. She would definitely be annoyed if she was required to spend time with him. Impatience seems to be a trait of her character and L would be a fool to not exploit it.

”Thank you, Wammy-san. I’d like to go back again soon to visit my “friend”.” And with that the ten-year old started to carry out the next stage of his plan. ‘When this is all over, you’ll tell me everything I want to know about you. I’m excited for our play date, Tia-chan.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Death Note and its charcters belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I only own my OCs.


	2. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L was a liar. He lied when he said that Light’s possibility of being Kira was below seven percent. He lied when he said that he was unclear if Light was the real Kira. He lied when he said that Light was his first friend. He lied when he said that he thought Shinigamis weren’t real. Then what exactly did he say was true, especially now that he’s dead? Unless, that too was a lie.

Annoyed, frustrated and exhausted, those were the words Tia would use to describe how she felt at the current time. One of the maids had came into her room, she said that L and Mr Wammy were coming over again. Her reaction involved a broken pen and ink spilling on her bedsheets, she had to move quickly to remove the pen and replace it onto her desk. A page of her little black book got stained, it spread over something she was in the process of writing. The girl sighed in frustration and decided to put the book away, storing it in a hidden compartment in her desk. ‘I’ll deal with it later.’

Tia was not in the mood to deal with the boy today, nor was she pleased with the idea of enduring another one of their play dates. Can it even be called that anymore? First of all, she has been doing this with the boy for three years already, and he was no longer a kid, nor was she, at least she was not according to her species. They were childish and immature, much like the boy. And secondly, nothing they do when in each other’s company would be considered normal. It felt more like an interrogation and her trying to not fall for any of his mind games. They occasionally have bets over a few games, but those never end well, since she loses 25% of the time, he wins 25% of the time and a tie would occur 50% of the time. A tie is equivalent to a loss for her, since L refuse to ever except a draw he’d demand a rematch, it would end with her forfeiting each time, though L seems to hate that, it was the fastest way to get him to leave.

The girl walked out her room and headed downstairs to the front door, passing the living room on her way out. The Bells were currently occupying the area. Mr Bell was reading a newspaper and Mrs Bell was busy knitting something, hopefully not a scarf. Tia grew self conscious at the thought and tightly tugged at the faded red scarf she wore. The woman had tried to get her to replace it for a while now but she wouldn’t budged.

”Mrs Bell, Mr Bell, I’m going out for a while.” She needed fresh air. Normally Tia would just leave on her own accord, but she didn’t feel like making her adoptive parents worried again. Not to mention she wasn’t looking forward to being lectured by Oscar, the family butler, like every other time she went on a little trip alone without giving any notice to anyone.

”Now? But your friend is coming over soon.” Tia ignored the blond woman. She had always been overprotective of her, even though it was highly unnecessary. Mr Bell was a little more trusting of her independence, she appreciated that aspect of him, even if he would try to pry details of her trips the moment she returned. “Tia?” Oh and the name L gave her had grown on the family. She can never go a day without hearing it now. A mark he left on her life.

“I’ll be off, promise to be back by lunch, that’s when they’ll arrive, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, but-“

”Ok, see you then.” She walked out without another word, leaving the couple behind her.

The woman watched as the eighth year old girl moved out the doors. She sighed, another failed attempt to reach out to her own daughter. Her husband gave her a knowing smile, one would think that after all the years they spent with Tia, his wife would realize that the girl would never let herself be empathetic towards anyone. She was kind and polite, but she just couldn’t empathize with anyone, he knew that and gave up on trying to get her to feel human emotions years ago, instead he opted to trust her and her decisions.

”You know, the last three years, Tia has started to act more human. Don’t you agree, Adam?” He sighed, this was a topic his wife just refused to drop. Ever since they witnessed the very first little chess match between those two kids, his wife would not stop over expressing her joy at the prospects of their little girl making a friend. She was even more joyful, though disappointed that she herself had no hand in choosing a name. Their daughter was always guarded in terms of that topic, she had always refused to be named, saying that it wouldn’t matter either way. Still, Tia wasn’t like them, she was not human, they knew that much. She told them herself. 

“Yes, Lorenza. I’m sure those two will get along swimmingly.” The boy was odd in his own ways, yet he was the perfect fit with Tia, hard to tell at first, but they complimented each other. “Tia looks like she’s experiencing hell, but she’ll probably come around to him... Probably.”

🍎—————🍰

A dark figure stood in the front yard of a church. It’s entire body was wrapped in shadows. The creature was black from head to toe, towering at a height of 178.6cm. A feminine figure, but no facial features of any kind, only a pair of white glowing eyes with constricting red pupils. It had long black hair that swayed to and fro continuously to a nonexistent breeze. Attached to its back was a pair of jet black wings that reached a span of 5 meters in diameter. The figure watched silently as a small group of children and their teacher walked into the church, not long after the sounds of hymns could be heard even from outside. It moved to enter the church. Walking on such “holy” grounds was ironic for such a being, but there was always a strange sense of serenity that it could never find elsewhere. The figure sat down in one of the provided seating, behind an elderly man. It just sat there and listened to the songs that the children sung, praising their lord and savior. A savior it knew did not truly exist. 

“To believe in god, heaven and hell, a truly meaningless concept. They all assume that their deeds will save them from true evil... I suppose that itself is true to a certain point. But in the end, in death all are equal... It’s nice to believe and be ignorant though. Gives one peace of mind.” As those words left the creature no one responded, completely dismissing its words, its presence as a whole. Nobody could see it, nobody could here the creature. Even after its frequent visits to the church, no one noticed any ominous presence, their peace never once left them and all it does was observed, observed their faith. “Humans are truly extraordinary.” It stayed and listen to the hymns. Mentally storing each note and lyric word for word. “If only such a being truly existed, then this realm would not have been so corrupted... I should go, or I’ll be late.” It stood up, shadow spread beneath its feet and consumed it into the ground.

A dark pool of shadows materialized on the rooftop, right inside the bell tower of the church, the creature slowly rising out from the void like hole. It stepped out and walked into the open. Wings spread out to its fullest length and flapped as the being took off to the sky. ‘Five minutes till they get there. I should hurry.’

🍎—————🍰

”Tia’s not here?” He was disappointed, he did not take Tia for someone who would run away. Just when he thought she was starting to open up to him. L even took the time to arrive early to see his only “friend” today. How rude of her to bail on him, it almost made him laugh.

”She stepped out a little while ago. She said she’ll be coming back by lunch. We were not expecting you to be early.” The butler informed him. L rubbed his feet together, there was still fifteen minutes before the agreed upon time, what could he do till then?

”Will it be alright if I wait for her in her room?” The man was silent. L knew how secretive Tia could be, every time he visited she forbade him from touching her belongings without her consent. “I mean I’ve been in there every visit, so it should be fine.”

“I suppose it would do no harm. Please respect her privacy while you wait.” He nodded and walked off in the now familiar hallways and corridors. His destination clear in mind. The boy’s eyes sparkled at prospect of what he could uncover in his “friend’s” absence. Was what he’s about to do wrong? Yes, under normal circumstances that is. Tia does not apply for normal, whatever she’s hiding is probably not categorized as humiliating like normal humans would try to hide, but rather dangerous, if his theory was correct. And L was never wrong. Ever. 

“So far, she has shown many signs of inhuman nature. Not breathing just as always. Knowing a person’s real name without being told beforehand. Never blinks, and she always looks at something above my head, from time to time.” The boy pressed a thumb to his lips. “But is she showing them on purpose or out of habit? If she didn’t want people to know she would’ve been more cautious around others, are these small details supposed to distract me from something bigger? Or is she confident that everything I know to be unusual of her so far can’t prove anything?” L opened the large wooden door and entered the all too familiar bedroom. “She’s intelligent, so she couldn’t have simply overlooked these minor details. It’s either she has a way to keep her secret safe and keep me quiet, or she simply doesn’t care enough to take action. I should have a look around till Tia comes back.”

L decided to start digging around the large room, first with Tia’s bed. “Smells like lemon tea and... Is that ink?” He rubbed the blank stain on the red silk sheets, it was slightly damp, meaning it had not been there long. “Was she writing something?” He looked around the room. Black, tired eyes landed on a pen on Tia’s desk, sitting in a small pool of ink. On closer examination, L could see the head of the pen was broken. There were fingerprints on its sides, most likely Tia’s, she could’ve gotten them there when the pen broke. He scanned over the desk, there were no paper nor books out, whatever she was doing before she left must’ve been put away. He doubted it was thrown out, the small rubbish bin by the coffee table was empty. “Five minutes till Lunch...”

L examined the desk drawers, one had ink markings left on its metallic handle. The inside was empty, but the ink marks suggested that someone had opened it, the boy began to feel the inside of the drawer. His hand stopped when he felt a bump in the roof of the compartment. When he applied pressure, the decorated lining of the desk that faced the person in the chair popped out, revealing a hidden compartment. L pulled his hand out of the drawer, bits of blank ink were left on his fingers. There was a book in the newly opened compartment. It was a black notebook, the cover had the word “Death Note” written in large white letters. 

“Death Note?” He picked up the book and examined it. “There’s a bit of ink on the side. So this was what you were writing in.” Before the boy could flip the book open and check its content, the room grew cold. It was a familiar feeling, much like the first day he met Tia, when she was trying to force him out. But it had never happened again after that, yet he was feeling fear. His hair stood on ends, his blood ran cold in his veins, skins prickled, L was frozen stiff. He was preparing himself, but for what exactly? Then he heard it, the sounds of speeding wind and flapping sounds. The sound indicated that it was something large making those sounds. It was close.

The balcony doors burst open, strong winds entering the room for a moment before calming down. He avoided looking at the windows, but he could see something coming inside. It was tall and dark, pitch black from head to toe. L clutched the book close to his chest, somehow he feels that it was important in this situation. The 13 year old surpressed the scream rising in the back of his throat as he found the courage to stare at the creature head on. What he saw looks like something straight out of a horror movie, a being of complete shadow. 

“My book...” It moved towards him. The creature’s voice was course, echoey, but oddly feminine. He was able to see somewhat feminine features that made up the shadowy creature too. It had long billowing black hair, a curvy figure and bright white eyes with red pupils. “You touched the Death Note. So... You can see me like this.” L stood his ground, but the wide-Eye stare that he gave in response to the new presence gave out his fear and disbelief. The creature sounded frustrated, apparently the book was what it’s after, L concluded.

”What are you?” The boy took a risk and asked. “Why do you want this book? What is it?”

”I should be the one asking!” It growled at him. The posture expressing signs of hostility. “Hand it over.” It extended out one of its four arms, long sharp claws reaching out to the small boy. 

“Why? What’s it for?”

”It’s mine and that’s all you need to know.” L looked at it with hesitant. If the book belonged to this being, then what was it doing in Tia’s possession. Also, why bother asking him for it, the creature could easily force it out of his hands couldn’t it, or should he refer to it as a “She” instead? ‘Could this thing be...? I need to check to be sure.’

”What if I don’t want to give it to you? What then?” His confidence returned, he spoke to the creature in an almost mocking manner. Anyone else seeing this would’ve assumed he was signing his death warrant, but L knew what he’s doing. There’s only one person he knows that is close to being non-human, this couldn’t be coincidence. “If I’m not wrong, your species are not allowed to harm humans directly, because if you did, you would’ve done that the very first day we met. Is that right, Tia-chan?”

She growled, but made no move to harm him. L knew he was victorious here. The boy watch as the shadow surrounding the figure began to subside and vanished, leaving an all-too familiar face behind. The girl brushed a strand of hair from her face, irritation clear in her eyes, her burning red eyes.

”Aren’t you clever.” 

“You didn’t do anything to me then, I doubt you’d do anything to me now.” She eyes the book his hand, but it just made him hold onto it tighter. “You weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t human. But I would never have guessed that was what you really look like.”

”Who let you in my room? And who gave you the rights to dig through my stuff?” Tia crossed her arms and sat down on a couch. “Ever heard of invasion of privacy?”

”I found an opportunity to find the truth.” L said in his defense.

”By robbing me of basic human rights?” Tia countered. She had rights to keep secrets and to her own privacy.

”You're not human.” L nearly bit his own tongue as he realized the words he just said. Tia was giving him such a strong glare, he would’ve been death if looks could kill. “I mean, you are a little suspicious. Anyone would investigate at prospect of uncovering the supernatural.” 

“Nice excuse. You’re the same liar as the day we met.” Those red eyes were not making it easy for him. They weren’t the same hollow grey ones he was used to and grown to like. “Just give me back my book.” Her voice was firm, still emotionless as always, but they were hinting at something. L had yet to pick up on what exactly that was. ‘What will happen if I give her back this book? I doubt it’s a diary of some kind. She doesn’t seem to be one of those people who would rant their feelings on paper.’

Tia saw the unwillingness in L and sighed to herself. ‘I’m not going to get anywhere if he does not trust me. Fear will only make things worst.’ She places a hand to her chest and did something L had never seen the girl do before, she breathed in and calmly breathed out. “Give me my book and I promised I won’t do anything to you.” He watched her skeptically. “If I didn’t hurt you during all those times we were together, what makes you think I’m capable of doing so now?”

”Then say it. Promise me these exact words. “I, Tia Bell, will not inflict any harm on L once I regain possession of my notebook.”” L trusted Tia, but how much of Tia and that creature were real, for all he knows, it could all be an act. If Tia is really the person he knew, then she would never go against something after giving her word. Apparently she doesn’t want to be a liar like him.

”Fine. I, Tia Bell, will not inflict any harm on L once I regain possession of my notebook.” She did so in a sarcastic tone. “Happy now?” L nodded as he handed her the book, and took a seat on the same couch, though leaving some space between them. He wanted to ask, but at this point doubt she’ll give him any answers without some kind of persuasion first. After all, he did rummage through her belongings without permission, even he wouldn’t trust him after that. “I’m a god of death.”

”................What?”

”No point in lying. I’m not like you.” Tia places the book down beside and turned to L. He stiffened under her stare, but it looks to have returned to its empty state. “I’m a god of death, a Shinigami, or grim reaper if you prefer. And this book...” She gestured to the black book. “Is my scythe.” 

“A scythe?” L found it hard to believe that he was holding a dangerous weapon the entire time. It can’t be, it was just a book, no matter how you look at it.

”Metaphorically speaking. You’ve been trying to pry the truth out of me for three years L, and I’ve grown tired of your mind games. It’ll be easier if I were to just give it to you straight.” L didn’t like this, he wanted to earn these results, he felt sort of cheated by the outcome. “You see this notebook is what we Shinigamis call a Death Note. Much like a grim reaper uses a scythe to reap the souls of the dead, this books allows us to kill simply by writing a person’s name down inside, of course we always need to know who we want kill looks like as we write their name down. To do that we special eyes to see a person’s real name and lifespan above their heads.” 

”Our name and lifespan?” Tia nodded. It was all making sense, how she knew his name when she never met him before and that was why her eyes were staring at the top of his head every so often. “I don’t understand one thing. You could’ve killed me anytime you wanted, why didn’t you? It would save you the trouble, and keep your secret safe. Yet you spared me.” 

“Sometimes the problems are complicated and the answers are simple.” Tia contemplated. She meant what she said, it was all so complicated for her at first, but it lately occurred to her why she had chosen not to kill him the first day. “I didn’t want you to die, that’s all.”

”Tia-chan, that’s not a real answer.” She shrugged her shoulders, having already lost most of her interest in their conversation. “You just said that you let me live because you felt like it. That is all? That doesn’t sound like the proud, cautious, and cold-hearted Tia-chan I know.”

”Maybe that’s why you don’t understand. You think I’m cold and emotionless, take a look at yourself first.” Tia sneered at L, who in turned shuffled a little closer to her. It looked a bit odd due to his sitting habits. He always figured things out easily, whether it was puzzles, equations and even people. But Tia didn’t qualify as human, so maybe that was why he struggled more than what he’s used to when analyzing her. “You try to unveil the truth behind Tia Bell, yet you can’t seem to realize that all she is is a fictional character you made to satisfy your own interest. You never tried to understand me, only find truth in lies you created about me. You don’t care about me, only if it helps you gain some form of self-fulfillment.” He wasn’t sure why, but her words really hurt. He felt pain in his chest and felt his throat go dry. L couldn’t find something to say to her. Something to defend himself. “I never told you anything about me, because you don’t want the answers, instead you built an over elaborate story to get answers. It does not matter to me what you know of me, unlike you nothing that happens to you humans can ever directly harm me, and I will never let it. Never again.” 

Tia stood up and walked to the door. The Death Note held in her arms defensively. “I’m not saying you’re a bad person, but you are far from a good one. You follow a warped moral code. Your lies can harm more people than a gun or knife. If you keep up like this, severing the world from you, treating everything as a tool, as a mean to an end, if that’s the kind of person you are... You won’t get any sympathy from me.” Tia stared at him, eyes once again a blazing red. L moved towards where she stood. Most of his fear was gone, but something else was there. He was feeling too many emotions since their conversation started. It was more than he was used to, L always told himself never to let his feelings cloud his judgment, but did he have any rights in this situation? He did just called the girl “not human” and she was obviously upset about it. He just wish for those red eyes to disappear and return the empty grey ones. “L-san...” That was the first time she said his name the entire day. There was so much venom behind it. “I’m not your toy, Tia can be whatever you want her to be, but I’m a nameless nobody and I don’t exist in this story you fabricated. C’mon, they’re probably wondering why we haven’t gone down for lunch yet. Let’s go.” She beckoned for the boy to follow her out.

The revelation of Tia's true species seemed to hold zero meaning now. All L could think of at the moment was her words. She was not part of the story, that was his life. He created Tia Bell, he assumed who she was and what her personality was like. He thought he could read her like an open book, but the entire time he was just creating something completely different, for three years he never saw his nameless friend once, not ever since their first meeting till the moment he chose the name Tia. L never got close to anyone, only Wammy knew him well enough, but even then it was more professional if anything. Nobody at the orphanage had actually interacted with him. Tia was the first kid he bothered to spend time with, all because she was different, she was not human and a mystery for him to solve. Yet it wasn’t a mystery, just fiction he twisted to suit his needs. Wammy had promised Tia to be special and catch his attention, but maybe what his caretaker meant was not what he originally thought. He needed to find out what that is and to do that he first need to let the nameless Shinigami, his first friend, to enter the story, but no twists, no alteration. He needed to see her truth to find answers, not what he wants to hear. ‘This will take longer than what he originally planned, but it might just be worth it.’

”Tia-chan.”

”Still calling me that I see.” She had not bothered to look at him as they walked through the manor. “What is it L-san?”

”I will make room for you in this story.” L couldn’t see her face, but Tia smiled, just a little. 

“How interesting, you think you can keep us both entertained long enough to keep this “friendship” of ours to last?”

”I like to rise to the challenge.” He said with a lacklustered smile. “You’re not a toy, Tia-chan. You’re an enigma. All I want from you is the truth.”

”We’ll see how long that lasts.” The two kids walked side by side to the dining room. Neither of them glanced in the other’s direction, but things were finally getting interesting between them. L was getting closer to the truth behind Tia, not just what she is, but who she is as well. The only card he needed to take from her was her trust in him. Tia feels less like a toy or a pet to the eccentric boy, they were now on equal standings and she was gonna get him back for the three years of teasing and irritation he caused her. No harm will come his way, just like she promised, but a lesson in humility never hurt anyone. The two gave each other a quick smile, in their heads they simultaneously thought ‘The real game starts now. If it’s my friendship you want, then I’ll give it to you in its finest. Come at me L/Tia!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Death Note and its charcters belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I only own my OCs.


	3. History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L was a liar. He lied when he said that Light’s possibility of being Kira was below seven percent. He lied when he said that he was unclear if Light was the real Kira. He lied when he said that Light was his first friend. He lied when he said that he thought Shinigamis weren’t real. Then what exactly did he say was true, especially now that he’s dead? Unless, that too was a lie.

(5 weeks after “Discovery”)

“So technically, this book is mine now?” 

“Unfortunately, yes.” Red eyes cautiously locked into the black notebook in the boy’s hand, who didn’t seem to get the gist of the danger it poses. L was waving it around nonchalantly, after all, to him there was no way a book could actually kill someone. Still if everything in mythology was false, he wouldn’t be seeing the creature in front of him now.

”Does that make you my servant?” Tia snorted and gave a weak smile.

”As if, I’m only going to be forced to stick by you till you return the book to me. I have no obligations to do your bidding.” The little girl walked over to her large desk and picked up a pen. It was frustrating how L had somehow stolen her Death Note, again, for the third time since he had first discovered it. He seemed curious of its purpose and since had understood that Tia had no real power to pry the book from him and call that as regaining ownership, the young teen had taken it upon himself to use the book as blackmail for her to not ignore him. That was until she gave up asking, well begging to be exact, for it and simply let him keep it. What’s the point if he’s just going to take it from her again at a later date? She had more than a few good hundred years left in her lifespan, she’ll outlive him either way. There’s no rush to kill anyone. “Be warned that there are rules of the book that must be followed or else there could be dire consequences.”

”I want to test it just to be sure.” Tia didn’t bothered to look him in the eyes when she handed the boy the pen. L was odd, normal humans would never take that kind of risk if the possibility of death is high, for themselves or for others. There were a few exceptions with bad intentions, but L wasn’t one of them nor could he be identified as a good one either. He didn’t seem to care much if lives needed to be sacrificed if it was for the greater good. He was a perplexing individual no matter how long of a time they spent together. Tia watched as he pulled up his laptop and displayed to her an image of a man. “I caught this guy earlier this week. He is part of a group responsible of a terrorist in South America. He has a record of twenty killings. He’s being sentenced with capital punishment and is going to be executed tomorrow.”

”So by your logic, he is going to die either way, might as well use him as a guinea pig for the Death Note’s power?” L had recently became a detective. He had caught some incredibly hard to find criminals that professional detectives have slaved over searching for them. Yet the boy had found these people in under mere hours or days. He proclaimed that he was doing it for justice. Tia almost broke into hysterics when he first told her, he was so excited about it too, but she concluded that it was simply for him to quench his never ending boredom. According to the ragged-looking boy, detective work was the second most interesting thing he had discovered. The first was her, as she was a being that went against all established human rationality. 

When Tia agreed to give this friendship a chance, she knew she would mess up at some point. Human relationships were too complicated for her to comprehend, but L was no better. He came over more often than before, but all they do is play chess, try to outsmart each other and have tea. Nothing’s really changed. Neither of them could hold a conversation and keep it going without the other losing interest for more that five to seven minutes. Today was different though. L had gone straight to taking the Death Note for himself while Tia was out for a quick fly to the church, like she does every Sundays. He once asked if she had a religion, which she pointed out was a stupid question since religion for a Shinigami is utter nonsense. She only goes out of curiosity and for the peace it offers her, since L had robbed her of safety and privacy in the Bells’ mansion. L never really showed any interest of using the book before, but now he seemed curious. Hopefully this doesn’t lead to him to commit a felony on a large scale. She didn’t need to be lectured by Oscar as to why she should’ve discouraged her friend from committing murder. ‘But one fleeting life wouldn’t be a big deal, right? Not like anyone needed him around anyways... Damn, this wouldn’t have happened if I hid the book better. Seriously, who keeps letting the brat into my room without permission?’

”Tia, is there anything I need to know before I write?” L gave the little girl a serious stare, but seemed to be smiling faintly. It truly did irritate Tia how L had turned her very existence into his own entertainment, though he seemed to be trying to not treat her any less than how he treat other humans, which isn’t much to brag about. Part of her wanted to lie about the rules of the Death Note just because, there’s nothing holding her from doing so anyways. Yet, it felt wrong to do so. Perhaps just telling him a few rules was good enough, this was going to be a one-time thing anyways. At least that’s what L is suggesting? 

“Just write down the full name of the person you intend to kill, with their face in mind when writing. Cause of death needs to be written 40 seconds after the name is written and details of death has 6 minutes to be written before it will take affect. If cause of death is not written, then the person will simply die of heart attack.” L stayed silent as he took the information in. Tia wouldn’t lie, he knew she wasn’t that type of person, but he concluded that there was more she wasn’t saying, it could not be that simple. It was odd that there were no consequences whatsoever to the person who decided to play with faith of human lives. 

“Tia-Chan, is there nothing else? There’s more, isn’t there?” Tia shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms as she took a seat beside the young teen. Normally she avoid getting too close to humans physically because it made her uncomfortable, but L had never let her sit anywhere other than next to him ever since he proclaimed his desire for friendship. Apparently sitting beside someone is a psychological technique to make the person feel that they were in the same situation. It was working, she was so used to it she ended up sitting beside him without him telling her to. 

“I see no reason as to why I should tell you the rest. It’s not like there’s going to be a second attempt. You know all that’s needed for one murder.” Grey eyes watched the rough-looking lad placed a thumb to his lips. He was thinking about something again. No matter how right Tia was about this never going to occur again after today, that wasn’t set in stone, he wanted more reassurance. She’s not the only shinigami, since there’s an entire species, he may end up encountering another someday. What would happen to him if he writes a name, got involved with the world of shinigamis? If he starts now then there’s no turning back. ‘What will happen to the one writing? There’s no way they just walk away free...’

”Tia-Chan, what happens to the person writing in the Death Note? I don’t believe that nothing bad will happen to them. There’s a punishment is there?”

L nearly jumped when he felt a weight on his left shoulder. It was Tia, leaning her head against his shoulder, black hair falling in straight locks from under her ragged red scarf. No matter how close they were, Tia could still be intimidating whenever she tries to be. Now she held more knowledge of the book than him, meaning she has more power in this situation. The boy felt a little uneasy, he started to sweat a little even if the fear wasn’t shown on his face. The shinigami in disguise was smiling, sweetly, she knew something. But it was odd, her grey eyes showed amusement and sadness. L couldn’t quite understand. 

“If only she was as smart as you were, then maybe everything that happened to her could’ve been avoided. Maybe then I wouldn’t have to let her die in such a gruesome way.” Pale hands unconsciously reached out, one gripping the old scarf, another resting on top of L’s left hand. She gently rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb before intertwining their fingers. “Once you write a name down in MY Death Note, your life falls into my hands completely. Where you die, when you die, how you die, it’s all on me. I choose your faith, I’ll be the one writing your name down in the Death Note. You can’t go to either heaven or hell. So... Still want to take the book for a spin? Misfortune always find its way to any human who uses the Death Note.” 

Tia giggles sadistically. She felt the shoulder under her tensed at her words. ‘Maybe now you understand that this is no game, L Lawliet. The power of the Death Note does not belong in the hands of a naive human.’ She closed her eyes, relishing in her friend’s hesitation. At least she could stop him from committing murder.

“Tia-Chan, do you like me?” Grey eyes were blown wide open and Tia pulled her head away from L instantly. Where did he get such a conclusion from? And why ask such an irrelevant question? It had nothing to do with their current conversation. Yet even as Tia looked at him in confusion and disbelief, L just gave her a plain smile, like he had just uncovered something that was hidden until now. “Then I guess I can count on you to give me a peaceful death when the time comes, right...?”

’Why...? Why? WHY?! WHY ARE YOU OKAY WITH ALL THIS!?! WHY ARE YOU OKAY WITH ME!?!?’ “Why are you so much like her?” L was confused. He had no clue what she was saying. The girl bit the corner of her lip. The pressure applied was strong enough to break the skin and allowed a small stream of blood to trickled down her chin, though the blood was another hint that she was not human, the color was a dark black and it seemed to be emitting wisps of black smoke, a similar kind to the one L had seen surrounding the winged-figure when Tia was in her true form. The boy reached over and picked up a tissue from a box on the coffee table. He attempted to wipe the, what he assumes to be, blood from her lips, but he felt his arm being forcefully stopped. Wide, black eyes stared in faint horror at the shadowy tendril that wrapped around his arm, keeping him away from getting closer to Tia.

She was still human in appearance, the tendril didn’t come out of her. No, rather it had extended out from L’s own shadow. They boy stared in fascination at the alienation before him, he wondered if this was Tia’s doing as well. “Sorry.” He gave her a curious look. ‘So this is her power? Do all Shinigamis have this ability?’ He didn’t have time to ask before she spoke once more. “I’ve broken the rule again, I’m so stupid.” Tia pulled her legs closed to her chest and crouched in her seat, shoving her face into her knees. The tendril slowly released him and subsided back into his shadow. “Hundreds of years and you’d think I’d learn my lesson.” Now that he thought about it, L had never once experienced any form of physical hostility or resistance from the girl, this was the first time. According to his memories, Tia couldn’t harm him because of some law her species follow. Yet when he had ask if she could kill him gently she reacted oddly.

”Tia, this law that restricts a Shinigami from harming humans, you broke it once before...?”

”Twice...” She wiped the black blood with her pale knuckle. “Well, no, the first time I was falsely accused. The second time was definitely my fault.” Her lips curved into a cold, sarcastic smile. “If a Shinigami were to harm a human directly, they are given an ‘extreme level’ punishment. Nobody really knows what that punishment is, only that it’s worse than death.”

”So then how come-?”

”I’m still alive and kicking? I told you the first time I was falsely accused. Somebody else committed the crime, I was only punished because I accepted the accusation and tried to defend them. My punishment was banishment from the Shinigami realm for a century. The second time...” Tia went quiet for a moment. From the look in those hollow eyes, the teen could tell she was reminiscing about something. “The second time I indirectly broke it. So my banishment was extended from a century to a millennia.”

L was confused. She indirectly broke a law? How did she do that? “What do you mean by indirectly?” Tia gave him a smirk that didn’t quite reached her eyes. She seemed to hold some regrets over it, he could also see hesitation in her eyes. “You can tell me. We’re supposed to be friends, your gonna have to tell me eventually.” Tia clicked her tongue and faced away from him. He hasn’t changed in the least, still holding their “friendship” as some kind of privilege to intrude in her life. Still he had point, it would be better to get it off her chest. She tried pushing away a clingy human once, and failed, which was what led her to breaking the rule the second time. Maybe a different approach and letting him in would allow her to avoid anything from building up. 

“The rule dictates that a Shinigami can’t harm a human outside of using the Death Note, but when I done the deed, I wasn’t a Shinigami, but a human.” Tia played with a loose thread of her scarf. The memories of the incident flooded her mind, she didn’t need to look to see L’s curiosity for more information. Especially since it was giving him more knowledge on Shinigamis. “Just so you know, Shinigamis normally can’t transform into humans or control shadows like I do. The human form you always see me in is due to a possession.”

”Possession? You’re controlling and using somebody else’s body right now.”

”More or less, this body doesn’t belong to anyone, it hasn’t for decades.” Tia pointed a thumb towards where her heart should be. Out of curiosity, L reached over and placed a hand on her chest, feeling the cold skin under the fabric and nothing else. No heartbeat. “This person I’m possessing is nothing more than a corpse. She’s been dead for a long long time. But it’s easier this way, I don’t have to break them mentally for control over the body.”

The teenage boy retracted his hand. He contemplated the information before deciding to ask the one question that would have connected to how this conversation had started. “This person, is she someone who had owned and used your Death Note before me?” Tia smiled sadly.

”Yeah. Her name was Wendy Sandler. She died at the early age of fourteen. All because she messed with a power no human should possess.” A swirl of black smoke surrounded Tia, as they dissipate, all that’s left was the shadowy creature L had seen once but could never forget. The first time he saw her this way he was horrified, shocked and was in disbelief as everything he knew to be fictional had to be taken as real. But now that he was seeing her again, there was enigmatic elegance and alluring beauty to the appearance. She was tall and slim, with perfectly shaped curves and billowing misty black hair. Those red eyes were strangely comforting and peaceful when she was not planning to murder him in her mind. And that red core, floating in the center of a chamber in her chest looked so natural where it was. “She was like you, wanted to befriend me. It started off as nothing but curiosity attraction, desire to empathize with something non-human. I didn’t think too much of it either, but after spending years by her side and watching her grow up, we slowly, gradually did become friends. I promised her that when she dies I will give her a peaceful, painless end.” The Shinigami stood up and glided silently over to the balcony glass doors, peering blankly into the distant past. Her biggest mistake in life was not breaking the law of her kind, it was allowing herself to cherish a human life, one she knew would have to come to an unforgiving end. “She never got the peaceful death she asked for...”

L straightened up in his seat, swapping from his unusual sitting posture to a more stiff but overall average in normality. The boy couldn’t care less that moment if his deductive skills dropped by 40%, the teen was too concerned by a sound that had reached his ears. He could’ve heard wrong, but he could’ve sworn he heard a soft dripping sound from Tia’s direction. ‘Is she...? No way... She can’t be...’ Tia touches her face with one of her four clawed hands and stared in slight disbelief and ironic amusement at the remanence of moisture left behind. ‘She’s actually crying...?’ 

“Tia-Chan...” L called out to his friend. She didn’t answer him. “Ms. Shinigami...? Nameless one? Nameless Shinigami?” Still nothing. Tia seemed to no longer acknowledged his presenting the room. Taking hesitant steps, the teen approached the larger figure from behind. When he tried to reach out and touch her, a wall of shadow erected itself between them. He paused for a moment, but then proceeded to touch the wall either way. He felt the shadow shift upon contacted, opening up for his hand to pass through. ‘Right, she’s not supposed to cause me harm.’ The shadows dissipated into nothingness, giving L a clear view of the Shinigami. Tia was actually crying, it was quite the sight. A god of death crying over the loss of a human. “Tia-Chan, do you care about me?”

It sounded selfish, and it was selfish. Knowing that there was another human that his Shinigami held in higher regards than himself irked him in a way he couldn’t quite describe. But it also made him hopeful that maybe Tia can acknowledge him the same way, he had been trying, but his social skills were far below average. Other than the Shinigami, he doesn’t have any real friends. She cared about him, even if she has yet to admit it, else she wouldn’t try to discourage him from using the Death Note. It didn’t matter whether she was trying to protect herself from making the same mistake or protect him from making the same mistake as the corpse she possessed, all L cared about was that she accepted his companionship. He wanted them to be real, honest friends, as hard as that road may be. Tia made things more interesting, more fun and less lonely. He didn’t want to lose the joy of having a friend.

The Shinigami stared at the boy in front of her. With a clawed hand, she lightly placed her palm against the boy’s outstretched hand, the two interlocking their fingers and claws. L could feel the shadows beneath becoming more tangible till he and Tia were holding hands. “Write in the Death Note if you want. But once you do, your faith belongs to me. There’s no turning back.”

L smirked. Looks like she can’t escape this friendship after all. “If it means that we’ll always be friends, then it’s worth the cost.” From the look of those piercing red eyes, the boy could see that she was begging him to reconsider and the confusion as to why he would willingly sacrifice his future for something like this. “You’re my only friend. I can’t lose you. If writing and owning the Death Note means that you won’t leave them my answer’s obvious...” The Shinigami She’s followed the boy as he let go of her hand and returned to the book. She watches as he wrote down the intended name down, but instead of fear, hesitation, regret or even doubt that would be expected, she saw him smile, peacefully and satisfied with what he had done. For a moment it reminded her of the last expression she saw on her first human friend’s face as she died a gruesome murder. She never understood why the last expression she made was a look of content, maybe even as her life was taken away cruelly, Wendy was satisfied and happy with things as they were. ‘But there’s no point in asking that. She’s long gone.’ Tia placed a hand over unbeating heart. ‘Long gone...’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Death Note and its charcters belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I only own my OCs.

**Author's Note:**

> Death Note and its charcters belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I only own my OCs.


End file.
